Roundup: Calif. fights feds on mental hospital oversight; Art for health care swap in N.Y.

News outlets report on a variety of health issues around the country.

Los Angeles Times: Officials Oppose Extended Federal Oversight Of 2 Mental Hospitals
California officials Monday filed documents in U.S. District Court opposing extended federal oversight of two state mental hospitals, arguing that new leaders have already taken measures to improve patient care and safety. The state attorney general's filing came in response to a scathing U.S. Justice Department portrayal last month of Napa State Hospital and Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk (Romney, 2/24).

Georgia Health News: Not Just Shelter, But A Lifeline For Those With Mental Illness
[According to] a housing initiative agreed to by the state of Georgia in a 2010 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, ... 2,000 individuals with serious and persistent mental illness will be placed in state-funded "supported housing" by 2015 ... Such housing programs are designed for people with disabilities, mental illness or addictive disease (Miller, 1/23). 

The Associated Press/CBS New York: Art For Health Program Offered At NYC Hospital
Tony-Award winning actor Lin-Manuel Miranda and rapper and radio personality Roxanne Shante helped launch the "Lincoln Art Exchange" at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx on Monday. They were joined by hospital officials and arts organizations including the Actors' Fund and the Bronx Museum. Organizers said the program addresses the growing number of freelance and independent artists who can't afford health insurance (1/23).

HealthyCal: Salinas Hospital To Train Indigenous-Language Interpreters
A new training program for medical interpreters is giving low-income women the skills needed for a hard-to-fill job – working as medical interpreters in indigenous languages. Six medical interpreters will be taught to work with patients who speak indigenous languages from the Oaxacan region of Mexico (Flores, 1/23).